Veterans Deployed To Iraq And Afghanistan Face Higher Risk Of Chronic Respiratory Conditions

U.S. Veterans who served successful Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) look an accrued consequence of processing respective chronic respiratory conditions, according to caller investigation presented astatine nan 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting of nan American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) successful Orlando.

The large-scale study examined much than 48,000 deployed Veterans compared pinch a matched group of non-deployed Veterans. Researchers recovered that deployment was importantly associated pinch caller diagnoses of asthma, chronic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), and nasal polyposis (NP) successful nan decade pursuing service.

Veterans deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan were often exposed to airborne hazards specified arsenic pain pits and particulate storms. We recovered that these exposures whitethorn person semipermanent wellness impacts, peculiarly for respiratory diseases that tin impact value of life for years aft service."

Patrick Gleeson, MD, allergist, lead writer of nan study and ACAAI member

Key findings included:

• Asthma: Deployed Veterans had a 55% higher consequence compared pinch non-deployed peers.
• Chronic Rhinitis: Deployment was linked to a 41% higher risk.
• Chronic Rhinosinusitis (CRS): Risk accrued by 27%.
• Nasal Polyposis (NP): Risk accrued by 48%.

The study utilized information from nan Veterans Affairs Corporate Data Warehouse and included only Veterans pinch nary anterior history of nan studied conditions. Each deployed seasoned was matched pinch a non-deployed seasoned of akin age, sex, race, and ethnicity.

The median property astatine deployment was 26.7 years, and nan mostly of veterans successful nan study were antheral (84%) and White (75%).

"These results item nan value of semipermanent wellness surveillance and specialized attraction for Veterans who served successful OIF and OEF," said Dr. Gleeson. "Recognizing nan nexus betwixt deployment and respiratory illness tin thief guideline aesculapian support, policy, and preventive strategies for those affected."

Abstract Title: Associations of Deployment to Iraq aliases Afghanistan pinch New-Onset Asthma and Upper Respiratory Diseases

Presenter: Patrick Gleeson, MD